Accordingly, a general object of the present invention is to overcome or substantially reduce the above-noted problems of the prior art.
Another object of the present invention is to fully automate the frying operation of food products such as french fried potatoes.
And another object of the present invention is to provide a fully automated system for storing and making french fried potatoes.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a fully automated system for making french fried potatoes without the need to shake the potatoes during and following the cooking of the potatoes.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a fully automated system for making french fried potatoes including a refrigeration system for storing precooked potatoes at freezing temperatures without sticking together.
And yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved automated system for making french fried potatoes, compatible with currently available automated deep fat fryers.
And still another object of the present invention is to provide a fully automated system for making french fried potatoes including a system for loading strips of potatoes in such a way so as substantially improve, if not eliminate, the problem of the potatoes sticking together during and following cooking.
It is well recognized by fast food restaurants that fried foods, such as french fries, should not be held for more than some predetermined maximum time period prior to sale since the quality of the cooked food falls below a minimum acceptable level after this time period. In these days, when some argue the existence of a direct relationship between speed of service of fast food restaurants and market share, it is essential to provide the customer with food on demand. This dictates the holding of some foods for varying periods of time. Where full service restaurants have the luxury of cooking foods to order, the fast food industry struggles with customer demand for speed. It is this speed of service that makes cooking to order, especially during slow periods, exceedingly difficult. The goal for the industry, however it may be obtained, should be cooking to order or, at least, minimizing holding of food to every extent possible.
Cooked french fries are not exempt from this goal. The sensory impact of cooked french fries, held over time, changes significantly. As with almost all other prepared food products, cooking to order provides the highest level of food quality and safety. In the preparation of french fries at the retail level, the holding of the cooked product represents one of the two most critical unit operations. The other critical component is the cooking of the potatoes and implications of temperature drop of the cooking oil.
Accordingly, another object of the present invention is to provide an improved automated frying system which is adapted to produce food so as to minimize waste associated with fried food being held beyond the prescribed holding times.
And another object of the present invention is to provide an automated frying system which is capable of operating based on point of sales information and daily business cycles.
These and other objects of the present invention are achieved by a fryer system for cooking foods in oil, the system comprising:
means for defining a loading station;
means, defining a frying station, for receiving fryer means for cooking the foods in the oil;
means for defining a receiving station for receiving the food after it is cooked in the oil;
horizontal transport means for transporting food in predetermined amounts from the loading station to a position above the frying station and from the position above the frying station to the receiving station;
vertical transport means for transporting each of the predetermined amounts of food among a first position wherein each of said predetemined amounts of food is transferable between the horizontal and vertical transport means, a second position wherein each of the predetermined amounts of food is lowered to the frying station so that each of the predetermined amounts of food will cook in the oil, and a third position wherein each of the predetermined amounts of food is positioned above the frying station so as to allow oil to drip into the fryer station after each of the predetermined amounts of food has been cooked in the oil.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a system is provided for loading potatoes cut in elongated strips into a container so that the potatoes can be deep fried in oil to form french fried potatoes without the potatoes sticking together, the system comprising:
a container; and
means for loading the strips of potatoes into the container so as to substantially prevent the potatoes from sticking together as they cook in the oil, without the need to shake the container.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a refrigeration system is provided for storing frozen parfried food prior to cooking the food. The system comprises:
means for defining a storage area for storing the food;
first evaporator means, positioned in the storage area, for providing air flow through the storage area at a first predetermined air flow rate;
second evaporator means, positioned in the storage area, for providing air flow to the storage area at a second predetermined air flow rate;
a condensor unit coupled to the first and second evaporator means so as to provide a refrigerant to the first evaporator unit at a predetermined temperature so that the first evaporator means is the coldest surface in the storage area so as to prevent substantial frost build up elsewhere in the storage area, and the air circulation through the storage area is at a second predetermined temperature.
And in accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a system is provided for storing frozen parfried food prior to cooking the food and for moving the food to a loading station where the food can be processed. The system comprises:
hopper means for defining a storage area for storing the food;
means for cooling the storage area so as to maintain the food in the storage area in a frozen state;
means, disposed at a lower position than the loading station, for providing easy access to the storage area so that large amounts of food can be loaded into the storage area without substantial lifting of the food; and
vertical transport means for transporting food in the storage area to the loading station.
Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter. The invention accordingly comprises the apparatus possessing the construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which are exemplified in the following detailed disclosure, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.